It Will Keep
by Dizzydodo
Summary: Maria thinks that Giovanni has been working too hard lately and sets about persuading him to rest. Giovanni requires quite a bit of persuasion. M for sexual situations


Giovanni Auditore paused when he heard his wife enter the study; she was no stranger to his work but he found he was oddly proprietary with these new codex pages and was not quite ready to share this, even with his most trusted confidante. He smiled as she came to rest her head upon his shoulder, placing a dainty hand on his,

"Giovanni, please; you are weary, come to bed." She murmured as she squeezed gently.

"You have been at this for hours, the children want to know why you are permitted to miss dinner and I for one would give much to know why I am sleeping alone tonight."

She reached out to take the page, leaning forward to read and frowned when Giovanni moved his sleeve to hide it from view. "It is nothing important, only a little accounting to be done before morning. I will be in soon."

He kissed her hand fondly and turned back to his desk, waiting for her to leave him to his studies. She didn't. Giovanni felt a smile tug at his lips when he noticed the pout forming on her face. Maria stubbornly insisted that she was too old to pout and never did so, but he knew her better even than herself.

Giovanni treasured these rare moments when he could see in her the willful, spirited girl he had first met within the willful, spirited woman she was now.

He shifted guiltily when she pinned his gaze sternly, "Are you certain you're not lying to me, Giovanni? You swore to me you never would, remember."

Come to it he hadn't changed much these last years either; one disapproving glance and he was all too ready to tell her everything. But he mustn't, not yet- it was as much for her sake as for his.

He would do anything to spare her peace of mind, break any oath without a second thought; so he assured himself, but looking into her eyes he couldn't quite convince himself of it. How could he betray that unquestioning trust in her eyes? Once lost he would never be able to retrieve it again he knew.

"It is not accounting, but it is business and it must be done." Maria nodded once as she turned toward the door, hesitated, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Giovanni shook his head slowly, "Not this time, no."

He spared her a warm smile before turning his eyes back to the damnable cipher. He'd give his good right hand to put it up and retire to Maria's loving embrace, but needs must.

Minutes stretched into hours and the soft click of the door alerted Giovanni to another guest- Maria again, clad only in a nightgown and her face empty of expression as she announced "I am staying until you choose to rest."

Giovanni sighed and gestured to a chair across the desk; she only assumed that look in her most stubborn moods and it was clear that argument would be useless; truth be told he would appreciate the company.

Giovanni started when instead of taking a chair Maria slid to the floor, holding his eyes as she crept toward him, the neckline of her gown plummeting to show far more cleavage than was decent.

Giovanni was captivated, caught himself swallowing to wet his suddenly dry throat as she twined about his legs, playing with the buckles of his boots; a predatory smirk blossomed on her face- entirely unlike the lady-like smile she normally wore. There was something just a little feral lurking beneath this smile, and Giovanni felt himself responding viscerally even as he attempted to turn his attention back to his work; a doomed effort he was certain. Maria had his undivided attention.

Her gaze locked with his as her fingers teased along the seam of his trousers, gliding down his calves and racing to his hips, a feather-light touch that he felt down to his bones. Giovanni hardly dared breathe for fear of breaking the sensual spell, speaking was entirely out of the question and so he was left to watch as his lady-wife began to tug at his ties, pulling his shirt loose in a motion made smooth after years of practice.

Giovanni found himself fumbling to loosen the ties as Maria forcefully yanked his trousers about his ankles, gliding her soft hands up his now bare skin; tingles of lust to spread all throughout his body.

His eyes dipped closed until he heard Maria's husky command: "Look at me."

He released a shuddering breath and looked down once more into her eyes. Maria took him in her hands, first gently running her hands down his shaft then harder, rough. Giovanni gasped as his muscles twitched helplessly, Maria only smiled wider as her pace increased and her grip tightened to the very border of pain- a curious division between pleasure and pain that was all the sweeter for it.

Giovanni could feel the lust rising in him and gripped the arms of his chair tightly, fighting valiantly to hold off the end; just when he thought the battle lost, Maria squeezed, placing her thumb firmly over the slit at his head and Giovanni jerked back in surprise and frustration, desperate for what she offered.

He gasped as she leaned forward to draw him into her mouth as her hands gripped his hips much the same way he gripped the chair. He twisted back, twining his fingers in her hair and pulling her back gently as he could.

Maria gazed at him questioningly; the beginnings of a frown crossing her face, Giovanni leaned forward to grasp her shoulders, tugging her forward so that she stumbled into his lap, arranging her so that she sat astride him. She bent forward to press a teasing kiss to the corner of his lips and he turned and caught it, coaxing her tongue into his mouth as he began to rock her against him.

Maria gasped, burying her face in his neck to nip at the sensitive place where neck met shoulder; Giovanni drew in the sweet scent of her hair, twining his fingers through it once again to arch her neck for his kisses. Maria hummed and he followed the vibration with his tongue and teeth so that she gave a startled cry.

Giovanni stopped moving and Maria arched forcefully against him, making those needy sounds in the back of her throat that he loved so much, but for tonight he had other plans.

Maria trembled when he brought his hand up to caress the vulnerable skin of her exposed throat, squeezing lightly, running his gentle hand down her front to take her breast in one hand as with the other he brought her close to him and placed his mouth at the sensitive shell of her ear.

"Hush, we wouldn't want to wake the children." Maria muttered something incomprehensibly and nipped at his jawline harshly.

Giovanni chuckled before drawing her nipple into his mouth through the cloth of her nightgown, she pressed against him as she began to move demandingly and he obligingly took up her rhythm, he was sure his fingers were gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, but she was digging her nails into his shoulders and it sent a thrill through him.

Maria began to slow, attempting to set a more languid pace but he would have none of it, choosing instead to push her back against his desk- sweeping the codex pages from it as he did so. She reclined on his desk, shooting him a triumphant smirk that sent still more shivers of excitement through him.

"I don't think you'll be getting any more work done tonight," she taunted.

He smiled, "I don't think you'll get much rest either, milady."

She pursed her lips as her eyes fell on the open ink pot at the corner of his desk. "Since we are both awake anyway," she leaned back to grab the ink, unwittingly outlining her form through the white cloth and Giovanni groaned as he followed, pushing her farther onto the desk so that her feet only just touched the ground, her hips tilted at an angle on the edge of the desk.

Maria dipped her finger into the bottle and traced a path from his neck to his stomach. He snorted, "That will be the very devil of a time to clean off."

Maria hummed agreement, "You'll need a bath." She smiled suggestively, catching his chin with her stained fingers to bring him in for another kiss.

Giovanni clasped her to him, disregarding the ink-stains she was probably going to leave all over his desk for him to admire later, disregarding the blots that would stain her nightgown, disregarding all other considerations save her.

He tugged at the hem of her nightgown, pushing it up around her hips and angling his hips toward him as he moved into her, Maria twined her legs about him, fighting to draw him deeper even as he held back. She gripped the edge of the desk until her nails splintered the trim, he grabbed a hand to bring it to his shoulder and she embraced him, burying her face in his throat once more to lick and suck as he moved faster.

She climaxed with a muffled whimper and Giovanni followed soon after, slumping against his desk as she slowly slid back to the ground, slightly shaky on her feet but offering no complaint.

Giovanni smiled, "Perhaps you're right, I am too tired and I should resume this another night."

Maria smiled back, "It will keep until tomorrow." Giovanni nodded as he donned his clothing sloppily and stooped to pick up the disarranged papers, piling them all onto his desk before drawing his wife under his arm to finally let her lead him to bed.

"Now, about that bath..."


End file.
